loving autumn...

A cold front just blew through Oklahoma overnight… leaving us with a major temp drop!!  We've been slowly awaiting the arrival of fall and all its pretties for awhile now, but of course it feels like we are skipping straight to winter!  So before the snow decides to start swirling in the skies, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from our fairly warm autumn… easy to see why this time of year kicks off my happy place!  Lots of color, falling leaves, plus a few crisp days mixed in- perfect for walks with my Gracie girl!

hello october...

Oh beautiful, wonderful, happy October!  You are finally here, yippee!!!  I am loving the phrase October is my favorite color by the way… -no really, it's pretty dang appropriate.  Living in Oklahoma has its weather challenges… for instance, the summers here are just WAY too hot.  So as a friend put it, I do lovingly look forward to the "ber" months the most.  But I mean come on Oklahoma, 90s in September?  It's gross.  Can we just get past this already?  Because fall is just that pretty time of year when I like to hop on my pumpkin obsession train, and deck out my home in all those gorgeous autumn colors, and let's face it… I am SO ready.  (side note: people may get confused when they come over in summer, because I tend to prefer these warmer, richer hues year round! -minus the pumpkins, I suppose)  Another fun fact I've recently learned… when it comes to fall, I've discovered I'm a basic white girl, and honestly… you guessed it, I'm perfectly okay with that.  Here's just a few of my favorite things that point out specifically why:

pumpkin spice lattes

well basically anything pumpkin spice

decorating for fall, inside & out

plaid flannels & leggings & chunky knit scarves

boots on fallen leaves #fromwhereistand

taking entirely too long to search for the perfect pumpkin

black friday shopping

layer upon layer of colorful turning leaves

So hello, October.  Glad you are back.  You are my very favorite.  

a few of my favorite grams...

So… I don't think I've mentioned that Instagram is one of my favorite & quickest go-to's for documenting and sharing our travels and day-to-day memories… or wait, maybe I have a few times, haha.  Now if you are a lover as much as me, then you MUST check out copygram -a company based in Sweden, with an eye for artistic perfection.  For my first purchase, I decided to go with the 4x4" matte 300 gram cardstock.  The best part? -they put all the pertinents on the backside.  Date, location, & even your written sentiments… perfect for recalling the memory of that special moment you captured, so when you feel like reminiscing… all the details are there!  They are so clever.  

Gracie's first ride in a convertible, complete with winding German roads. 

A few random chairs in… hmmmm, where was that again?  Oh wait, just flip over the card… and yep, there it is… those chairs were in lovely San Gimignano!!  

Cochem Castle silhouetted by the gorgeous sky, during our cruise along the Mosel River.

A few vintage street signs at a local Oklahoma salvage yard.

Bierre vom Faß :: translation- beer on tap, need I say more?

Oh & that time I went to Oktoberfest and did a jumpshot in front of a ferris wheel with my sis!

a handwritten menu, from an amazing little restaurant nestled next to the Mediterranean in the south of France… first time I ever tried mussels, and they were yumtown.

Sunflower fields (or "girasole" as they say) in the Tuscan countryside.

my sweet Gracie girl… Oklahoma sunsets… doorways in Siena… 

I even spy a piece of my alma mater… BOOMER.  Campus Corner, University of Oklahoma.

Oh just a few vintage CHAIRS that really wanted to come home with me… 

A handful of my all time favorite family snapshots atop our hand-stitched wedding quilt.

Grace snoozing… you know, the usual.
Visiting Volterra, one of the many hillside villages in Tuscany!!

Oklahoma ice storms, the Tuscan countryside, jumping & celebration, Deutschland castles, fests & more fests, good times with FRIENDS, walks with Grace, windows & shutters & doors- oh my!! beachside sunbrellas in France, springtime blooms & wandering butterflies, colorful little German villages, Florida starfish, naptime & playtime, FAMILY. College Graduation, Italian Cathedrals, sweater weather & the changing autumn leaves, Oktoberfest, those matchstick trees in Austria, HAPPY vintage finds, train rides thru Europe, parked vespas & pretty window boxes, wine tasting & olive picking, new business ventures, daytime exploring, the golden hour, farmer's markets in the piazzas of Italy… It's these treasured moments… looking back, experiencing & loving LIFE!!  I mean… so many pretty places I never even would have imagined visiting, and yet somehow we were able… And these little coffee table copygram gems make looking back so much fun & an even better conversation piece when sharing the memories with family & friends.  

So what are you waiting for?  Go get yours!!

terms of endearment

oh you know… just a few nicknames along the way = adorable artwork.
so why do I feel like I left a few out?  haha.  happy friday friends!

july photo challenge

Can't believe it's August already… Hope you're all enjoying the last bits of summer!  Here's a fun little photo challenge I did to get my creative juices flowing with the fabulous ladies of fPOE… all Instagram, all iPhone snapshots.

1:: green - 2:: fruit - 3:: stripes

4:: morning - 5:: landscape - 6:: purple - 7:: floral

8:: sweet - 9:: reflection - 10:: sky - 11:: favorite things

12:: 9pm - 13:: soft - 14:: circles - 15:: dark

16:: in the kitchen - 17:: on the road - 18:: heart - 19:: black&white

20:: critters - 21:: pastel - 22:: 11am - 23:: literary

24:: shadows - 25:: doors/windows - 26:: red - 27:: what I wore

28:: symbols - 29:: movie/tv/music - 30:: vintage - 31:: selfie

Surprisingly, this last one was my favorite… selfie included (so not good at those)!!  If I could swap the vinyl for my what I wore, it would be a great "pieces of me" summary… but then again, guess the whole challenge gives insight into the life of me & a few of my favorite things!

52 reasons I love you...

So the hubby & I just passed up our ten year anniversary… I decided that even though we have never given the traditional gifts, I wanted to do something different this year.  That being said, year ten = aluminum/tin.  So me being my somewhat clever self, decided I would get him an iPad, since he is always traveling.  I asked the sales clerk what material it was made of, to which he answered aluminum… perfect!!  I even topped it off by using tin foil to wrap the gift.  I pretty much outdid myself, but I wanted something a bit more personal to add to the mix, and that's when I remembered seeing a fun little project on pinterest, or you can see it here.

Now enter the crafty Nelou.

First up, find the playing cards… Not that we don't have 50 million packs of them already, but none of them seemed to fit the bill.  My next trip to the flea market… paydirt, vintage playing cards.  I combined the best of 2 packs, and got to work.  First off, I set up an off-limits room where I could spread out the supplies I needed:

{self healing mat, exacto, triangle, sharpie, double-stick tape, cardstock, number stamps & stamp pad, hole punch, circle rings, & the playing cards of course}

I used heavy-weight craft gift tags, and was able to cut 2 from each tag.  

Once I had them all cut, I hand-wrote my 52 love notes.  

 Next, using a joker as a guide, I hole-punched the cards 

& secured them together with the rings.

 After I had them in the order I wanted, I got busy stamping.  And I must say 

I loved the imperfections when a small smudge would occur, or I would 

happen to press a little too hard, leaving a little corner of ink from the stamp.

 Lastly, I used the double-stick tape to attach them to each card.

 and voila!  52 reasons I love you… 

Sadly, this took me a little longer than expected, so the hubby didn't quite get it on our anniversary… it became a Christmas present instead.  So if you are starting to think towards Valentine's Day, and think this is a fun idea… start now!!  

Not only will it make your loved one melt… but you'll remember 

all those important little reasons you fell in love in the first place.  

handcrafted pretties...

I recently had the pleasure of highjacking my unsuspecting 

(not to mention gorgeous…) house guest, 

to model a few handcrafted products I am completely in love with… 

so first up, mrs. Z's designs.

I'm pretty sure I have one of her cowls in every size, shape, and color.  

Now to just acquire a few more, hehe.  Sarah has a wonderful talent, 

and seems to be able to make anything you can dream up!  

From these beauties, to fingerless mittens, to baby booties, and hats… 

just to name a few!  and just you wait til you see the ones she made for Grace!!   

and now for another very talented lady… 

I met Anneka some time ago through our hubbies.  

She mailed me a few goodies… 

along with a head & ear cozy… total surprise. & super cute.

the flower is removable and can be worn separately… 

that's right, can you say bonus?  

for more of her beautiful treasures, you can visit Knot Moxie.

Can't wait to share the rest of their pretties with you all!  

So what are you waiting for?  Go check them out.

oh and be sure to mention I sent you… 

to take advantage of an exclusive savings on your first purchase!!

sit. stay. love.

you say covet like it's a bad thing…

and now I've successfully found 16 more things I would love to get my little hands on, but alas… I suppose for now I'll post this on my fridge so I never forget to dream big & always remember to smile.

something to look forward to...

It's that time again, just the favorite part of my month!! The flea market (le sigh)...

where I go in search of those imperfect unloved items that I just can't live without.

First... grab a waffle (& slather whipped cream on thighs)

It's all right, there will be lots of walking... along with more snacking
& the occasional bier of course

(no worries that it is 7am... if grandma over there can handle it, so can I).

now, time to shop & put the rosetta stone to good use.

As I ooh & ahh,
my Hubby's voice enters my head... where are you going to put that??

I'll find a place!! I mean who doesn't need an old rusty, broken-down motor scooter?? (you honestly don't know how many ways I had to talk myself out of that one...
I did however snag some of those enamel numbers!)

ah my beloved green shutter...
see, you see peeling paint (quite possibly containing a bit of lead) 

and I see future headboard.

and okay, you don't have to tell me... I sorta have a sick obsession,
and this isn't even all of them...

Oh Homburg Flea Market how I heart thee... tomorrow can't come soon enough.
So bundle up, it'll be a cold one, but I'll be there with bells on! See you there...